Overview
- Apple removed Eyes Up, an app that archives videos of ICE activity, days after delisting ICEBlock, widening enforcement beyond real-time tracking tools.
- Apple told developers it acted on law-enforcement information about officer safety and cited objectionable-content rules, and the Justice Department confirmed it demanded ICEBlock’s removal.
- Other ICE-related apps, including Red Dot and DEICER, were also pulled from the App Store, though some remain available on the web or Google Play as Google has likewise removed certain trackers.
- Former Apple executives Wiley Hodges and Alex Horovitz released open letters urging Tim Cook to explain the legal basis or restore the apps, contrasting the decision with Apple’s 2016 refusal to unlock a shooter’s iPhone.
- Developers say they are appealing and preparing legal action to reinstate their apps, while legal and civil-liberties experts contend the tools publish protected speech and support accountability.